Vijayawada: The Education department which is publicising reforms in schools is ignoring the system, which is involved in implementing the reforms on the ground level. District education officers who play a key role in the district are being ignored. Andhra Pradesh state government is spending crores on education, but, is shying away from recruiting staff to monitor government and corporate schools. Other than Nellore, all others DEO's are deputies with some taking up additional duties from the past two years.
This situation arose as many DEO's got transferred after getting promotions and deputy DEO's were managing to continue with political interference. "DEO and deputy educational officers were key in monitoring school education and deputy DEO's were not in a position to handle responsibilities fully with constraints. Many eligible officials were waiting for postings and government was delaying it," says Federation of Andhra Pradesh Teachers Association President P. Babu Reddy.
"Deputy officials holding key positions in the education department shows the negligence of the government towards education and this is indirectly helping corporate institutions loot parents with exorbitant fee. Education Minister should take this seriously and fill vacant posts than bringing AP Self Finance Independent Schools Act - 2017," says A. Ravi Chandra, Secretary of Progressive Democratic Student Union. Minister for Human Resources and Education Ganta Srinivasa Rao accepted that many districts have a shortage and said that it will be filled soon.
